Northern Ireland councils collected more than 1 million tonnes of waste
Date published:
New accredited official statistics published by NISRA statisticians in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), present information on municipal waste management statistics for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
Key findings
- Northern Ireland's councils collected 1,010,410 tonnes of waste during 2024/25, a 1.0 per cent increase compared to 2023/24.
- Half (50.4 per cent) of all waste collected by councils was sent for recycling, similar to the rate recorded in 2023/24.
- The household waste recycling rate was 51.0 per cent, continuing to exceed the Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy target of 50 per cent.
- The landfill rate fell to 14.0 per cent, down from 18.4 per cent in 2023/24 and a significant reduction from 74.0 per cent in 2006/07.
- Over one third (34.3 per cent) of waste was sent for energy recovery, up from 29.7 per cent in 2023/24.
- Biodegradable waste sent to landfill decreased by 24.7 per cent, from 95,425 tonnes to 71,828 tonnes.
- Belfast generated the smallest amount of household waste per capita at 397 kg, whilst Antrim and Newtownabbey recorded the largest at 555 kg per capita.
About the publication
The full report provides detailed information on waste management across Northern Ireland's eleven councils and waste management groups. It covers waste arisings, recycling (including preparing for reuse, dry recycling and composting), energy recovery and landfill rates. The report also includes progress against waste strategy targets and comparisons with previous years.
Further information
For the full report, data tables and background information: Northern Ireland local authority collected municipal waste management statistics 2024-25